Birding Articles
Field notes, identification, migration and conservation in Britain, with emphasis on East Anglia.
Marsh Tit or Willow Tit? Calls, Plumage and Habitat Compared
Calls provide the safest separation of Marsh Tit and Willow Tit, but a silent bird can sometimes be identified from the upper mandible and a combination of cheek, wing and habitat clues. This guide ranks the useful characters and the common traps.
Beyond the Bug Hotel: Do Bug Hotels Really Work?
Bug hotels can provide nesting sites for some cavity-nesting bees and wasps, but research has not established that they increase wild-bee populations. This article examines the Toronto bee-hotel study, the risks of poor design and why food plants, dead wood and varied habitat matter more.